hall cred

When you think of Davey Johnson — the manager, not the player — does Hall of Fame naturally follow? Probably not. But the man who cut his managerial teeth in Jackson has stronger credentials than you might imagine. Johnson is on the 10-man ballot for managers and umpires that the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee is now considering. Also on the list are Whitey Herzog, Tom Kelly, Billy Martin and Gene Mauch. Electees will be announced next month. Johnson won a 1981 Texas League title with the JaxMets and five years later won a World Series with the New York Mets. That was his only Series appearance in 14 years as a manager. But it should be noted that Johnson’s clubs won four division titles and finished second seven times. His career .564 winning percentage is better than that of Hall of Famers Leo Durocher, Sparky Anderson and Walt Alston. Maybe he’s got a chance. In 1999, when The Clarion-Ledger polled readers on the all-time Jackson Double-A team, Johnson was picked as manager, 18 years after his only season with the club. Some guys just have that certain something.